


It's Just the Sight of You

by Sister_Grimm



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-07-10 19:07:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7000999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sister_Grimm/pseuds/Sister_Grimm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Time travel complicates everything</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Just the Sight of You

Cisco and Barry are an adorable couple. Or at least they were until Barry went back in time to talk to Wells. Now it seems like he's on eggshells around all of them but especially Cisco and Hartley.

It's like 2 am, and it feels like the pre accelerator days, only they don't hate each other. So instead, they're working on modifications to Hartley's gloves, fiddling with max frequency. And Cisco says, "Could time travel make Barry not want to date me?"

Hartley pauses, "I suppose theoretically?"

Cisco sighs and runs his fingers through his hair, "I just feel like he's been avoiding me for like the whole week since he got back."

"Did you tell him about..." Hartley trails off but Cisco knows what he means.

Another late night over diagrams, knowing they'd have to deal with the Time Wraith take two, sitting a little too close together, looking up at each other and then the short, desperate press of lips before they realized what they were doing.

"No.", Cisco admits.

A long time ago, before the accelerator, Hartley would have pushed back, would have moved closer, gotten in to Cisco's space, taken the notch at the bedpost for what it was but no more. He doesn't want to hurt Barry. Whatever jealousy he may have, Barry is his friend. And if he indulges in a moment of honesty, he'd admit he wants more than that from Cisco. But he's equally aware that while Cisco is undeniably attracted to him, he is not good boyfriend material, so he takes off his glasses and sighs, "You should probably talk to him, maybe he's being weird because you are?"

"Maybe?" 

Hartley wonders how pissed Barry is going to be. He's never seen Barry mad at Cisco before. And it's not like they had sex, they just made a stupid mistake. Even if it is one Hartley would love to repeat. He sees the way Cisco looks at him when he doesn't think Hartley is watching and that is enough to tell him that Cisco probably wants this too. And that's probably why Hartley can't forget it happened, can't write it off as a simple mistake. Even though he knows he should because he can't possibly compare to Barry Allen. And he wonders why Cisco hasn't told Barry and if Barry sees the way Cisco looks at Hartley. 

"Cisco...", Hartley breathes because he can't help but notice the way Cisco's eyes keep flickering down to his lips and Cisco jerks his eyes back up and leans his head back. 

"I'm gonna go home, try to get some sleep.", Cisco says abruptly and Hartley nods.

"Probably a good idea."

He watches Cisco hurry away and sighs. This will not end well.

***  
The next day, Cisco avoids him until Barry is headed towards a bank robbery and Cisco is pulling up the security footage and before they even get the facial recognition Hartley knows who it is. "Earl."

Caitlin turns, "Huh?"

"The robber, his name is Earl Povich."

And then the facial recognition comes back and confirms what Hartley had just said. "And how do you know that?", Cisco wonders with an undeniable edge to his voice. 

"I've dabbled in poor life choices.", Hartley snaps back.

"What's going on over there?" Barry asks, sounding concerned.

"Apparently you're about to fight Hartley's ex-boyfriend." Cisco grunts out.

Hartley rolls his eyes, "I don't have ex-boyfriends, I have ex-lovers."

"You know you're pretentious, right?"

"It's hardly pretentiousness, Cisquito. I just don't do relationships." 

"Must be your winning personality."

"Or the great sex.", Hartley snaps back.

"Uh... Guys....focus?", Barry says.

Both Hartley and Cisco's heads snap back to the screen.

"Sorry.", Cisco muttered.

Hartley just shrugs, "Kick his ass, Barry."

Barry laughs, "That is my job."

Even with Earl's strength, he has nothing on Barry's speed. So Barry hauls him into CCPD and no one gets hurt. 

Hartley snickers, there was something oddly satisfying about watching Barry haul Earl in. Not that there was anything objectively wrong with Earl, good looking, decent sex, no strings. These are all things Hartley likes but still, the guy robbed banks. And Hartley has mostly gotten past his desire to set the world on fire, so he doesn't have much need for Earl.

***

They're packing up their stuff and heading home when Cisco leans over, brushes his lips over Barry's and before Barry leave he can distinctly hear Cisco say, "I love you." And equally Hartley sees Barry pauses before he replies. 

"I love you too."

And Hartley wonders if the words ring as hollow to Cisco as they do to him. And he sees Cisco's smile flicker for a second before Barry bolts away. 

He feels bad for staying behind as Cisco's smile crumbles as fast as Barry escapes the increasingly awkward silence. But when he moves to step past Cisco, Cisco stops him, "Can you stick around?"

It looks like it physically pains Cisco to say that but Hartley nods anyway but doesn't say anything. Doesn't know what he could say. So he stands and watches as Cisco begins to heads towards his lab, shoulders slumped, downcast eyes. And Hartley follows him, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really.", Cisco says flatly and hands him part of their latest project. "So what was the deal with Earl?"

Hartley shrugs, "It was fun."

"That's it?", Cisco laughs with an eye roll.

"The last time I cared for someone, something literally exploded.", Hartley snaps. He's lying but Cisco doesn't know that.

"Seriously, that was the last time you let yourself care?" Cisco sounds flabbergasted.

Hartley shrugs but doesn't answer, just focuses on the schematics. 

"You know Hartley, I don't know if it was Wells, your parents or someone else, but who ever screwed you up this bad deserves to be punched in the face."

Hartley sighs, looks over at Cisco and says, "You should get this figured out with Barry."

Cisco sighs, "I know. I know."

***

The next day Hartley beats Cisco to STAR labs and when Cisco arrives he just seems small and deflated. "Barry and I broke up."

"Oh.", Hartley isn't sure what to say.

"Yeah, I think we both knew it wasn't working.", Cisco muses.

And Hartley is usually more eloquent than this but he can't really think. "Time travel?"

"Time travel.", Cisco says flatly. 

***

It's another week or so before it's just them in the labs and they're upgrading Barry's suit and in a moment of awkward silence Hartley says, "I lied."

Cisco looks up, "Huh?"

"About evil Wells being the last person I cared about. That would be you, now."

And Cisco looks at him, puts the computers chips he's working with down and says, "Hartley. If I'm reading too much into that stop me before I embarrass myself."

And then Cisco is kissing him, a real proper kiss, not a moment of weakness, spur of the moment thing but genuine and wanting.

Hartley pulls Cisco close, so they're flush against each other and kisses back.


End file.
